Of Them All
by Lady Lake97
Summary: Prince Zexion wasn't happy when his Step "Mother" tried to murder him. He wasn't happy living with dwarves who were freaking taller than him. Or when the talkative blonde wormed his way into his heart. That's what happens when you're fairest of them all.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: This is the part where I tell you that Kingdom Hearts does not belong to me. However since I feel like a rebel, methinks that I'm just gonna keep it. Yep that's right. It's mine suckers. **

***Bleep* _Lady Lake, It's time for us to shut down the hologram system_**

**Aw, Darn it! Just a few more minutes? Reality sucks. **

_**Nope. We gotta shut it down. SquareEnix just called and said someone was stealing their copyrighted game and characters.**_

**...Damn.**

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><p>Ansem was a king of kindness, gentleness and secrecy. While it could not be said that he was a brilliant ruler: his glorious kingdom was praised throughout the country, He was certainly quiet. He shared his thoughts with no one. His innermost feelings were compressed, or put aside for the good of all of Oblivion. The villagers and commoners murmured. Rumors had always fluttered from mouth to mouth, but the king paid them no mind. The peasants could find nothing wrong, and so, they lived aa carefree life under his strong rule.<p>

However, the townspeople were truly enamored with the lovely queen. Yes, it was most definitely true: Ansem's wife surely was one of the fairest, most beautiful maidens of the country, her heart and soul just as magnificent as her dashing beauty. Her purple tinted brunette hair shone with a fraction the same twinkle that could always be seen in her beautiful indigo eyes. She was loved by all, hated by none.

The young crown prince was slightly different. He so much resembled his mother, that each folk had expected him to be just as wonderful. Sadly it was not to be. It wasn't so much the fact that the small smirk or look of disdain often shown on his face was cruel. Take it not that way at all, for that was not how it was meant to be interpreted. You see, though Prince Zexion was quiet, cold, anti-social and at times heartless, deep down I believe that there was a shred of emotion. Perhaps Prince Zexion wanted a friend. Perhaps he wished to live a normal life. Or perhaps he wished that his father was not such a dumbass. But that is for later in the story.

The three of them lived a seemingly happy life. The kingdom prospered for many years. But what kind of story would this be if nothing went wrong? No that would not do at all. Of course all good must come to an end. So, my dear readers, Let us start at the beginning of our conflict, for where better a place to commence then from the start?

It all started when Ansem began to question is sexuality. Although he was married to the most attractive woman in the entire kingdom he felt no desire whatsoever whenever he was near her. He found instead, his eyes continually being drawn towards… Well, Males. This highly confused the king, for who had ever heard of a man liking another man. Considering the possibility of having some horrid disease, he pondered thoughts of suicide. Thus, the first reason for Zexion's believing of Ansem being an idiot.

For many months Ansem tried to suppress the feelings inside of him, yet after a little while he found that he couldn't be with the woman who supposedly held his heart. It hurt to much. Ansem then made the decision to murder his wife in the dark of night and right it off to a horrible sickness that just happened to hit in the night leaving random bullet holes littered through the skin killing the poor victim instantly.

The kingdom, refusing to think for a second that their beloved king would have something up his sleeve, gobbled up the outrageous lie eagerly.

The ever observant prince Zexion however was not stupid, nor did he have any qualms against immediately blaming his father for his mother's death. Zexion soon realized that his father was most definitely a lying insecure moron, who didn't realize that half the kingdom suspected he was gay already.

Zexion wasn't horribly depressed about the death of the queen, the cause being Zexion wasn't really close to anyone, not even his own mother. He wasn't angry with his father for brutally murdering his mother, he was more irritated about the fact that Ansem had thought him stupid enough to fall for his huge conspiracy.

Yet the matter that his idiot father had neglected to remember when assassinating the queen, was that according to the law a new queen must be chosen before the year is up. Seeing as the king was still quite gay, the young, sadistic prince smirked, curious to see what Ansem would come up with.

"Um, your highness?" the guard slash advisor of the kingdom was quite the optimist most of the time. This man was second only to the king himself ever since the death of his wife. His bright blue eyes and brunette hair that defied gravity was well known throughout the kingdom. But the one thing that truly made the youth stand out was his ability to use the most prized sword ever seen by the folks of the village, not to mention throughout a good part of the world. The golden sword was forged from the strongest of metals in the hottest of flames causing it to have the most unique golden colour. The shape was quite similar to that of a key and it's beauty surpassed all other weapons anywhere in castle Oblivion. According to rumor this key could conquer entire worlds, defeating those with the darkest of hearts and those with the strongest of armors.

Sora, for that was the man's name, was loyal only to king Ansem, yet there had been something about the king that had seemed quite different ever since the good queen had passed. At first Sora had written it off to depression, but after carefully observing the man he discovered that the king didn't look sad at all. When the king stared blankly into space, as many people do when they're thinking, the look in his eyes wasn't so much of sorrow, but more of a brooding. As if the king wasn't sure what he was going to do next.

This was what Sora was for: To help make decisions such as these. The level of leadership in the castle was running dangerously low, which was the best explanation for why Sora had ended up with two of the highest positions in the kingdom. You see Sora was always ready to lend a helping hand and seeing as he was already in good favor with the king, he found himself as the head of the Guard and also the king's highest advisor and friend. It was his job to help the king as much as he could and although he hated having to snap the king out of his reverie he knew it was necessary to deal with the problems now rather then later.

"What is it Sora? Can't you see I'm moping?" Ansem sighed wearily. Although now he did not need to worry about his wife, he still felt alone. He would be 'The lone King' forever, it seemed.

"Well sire, the passing of our queen, may she rest in peace, has brought on a few political problems."

Ansem's brow furrowed. He hadn't been counting in this. He was just supposed to kill his wife and then everything would be fine once again. Sora looked at the man's face and plowed forward figuring it best to keep going.

"The law states that a new queen must be chosen within a year of the previous' death."

Ansem visibly paled. Yes this was a problem. He had just gotten rid of his last wife, and now he had to find another one? All he wanted was a man who he could love, someone who would love him. But now he had to find another woman... Or did he? Really as long as the citizens of the kingdom didn't realize the queen was a man, then he would be fine! And thus was the beginning of the biggest scandal ever committed.

The plan was simple really, Ansem thought as he crept carefully out of the castle, his body hidden underneath a dark cloak. To anyone who saw him in the streets he would look just like weary traveller, so much dirt had he used to conceal his face.

The plan consisted of creeping out of the castle in the dead of night. He would sit in the cozy pub at the edge of town, that he'd heard was quite popular around here with the citizens, and look for the most girly man he could find: Someone who could look good in a dress, someone who was quite feminine, yet still male.

Quietly he walked down the empty streets, hearing the inn before he saw it. The rowdy noise and ramble coming from the building was quite welcoming. A rosy glow surrounded the small building giving off an atmosphere of friendliness.

The creaking sound of the door was immediately absorbed into the shouts and cheers sounding from inside the small pub. Ansem attempted to recall the name of such a friendly place, briefly remembering the large red sign out front with 'Ye old pub' scrawled in gold lettering.

The old king successfully made it to the back of the room without being spotted by anyone. With a sigh he sat down to observe the residents, young and old.

He noticed a few drunkards sitting in corners, chugging down what was probably their twentieth bottle that night. Several men were crowded around a small table playing poker of some sort. Someone at the table slammed down their cards angrily and shoved a large pile of money towards the middle of the table and pushed the chair away, storming off in a fury. No doubt that had been his savings for the past week. Ansem knew the man's wife would not be happy with him when he returned to his house.

But out of all the inhabitants, Ansem found that the most noise came from the middle of the room where a crowd of what seemed to be regulars at the small pub were laughing and sloshing ale around. If Ansem listened he could hear their conversation, and so he slowly inched forward in hopes of over hearing things about girly men. Almost as if he expected it to be a common topic of conversation.

"So, how's yer lass doin'?" One of the men was saying to the gruff looking man sitting beside him. The man grunted before letting out an annoyed sigh.

"Xigbar, you stay away from my wife y'hear?"

The man, Xigbar, feigned a look of innocence.

"Why I can assure you, I was only attempting to make conversa-"

"Like hell you were," the man finished the conversation with a stern tone. Xigbar let out a disappointed sigh before turning around to glance around the rest of the small pub looking for someone else to pester. His eyes rested on Ansem for a fraction of a second giving the king a moment of panic at being discovered, before he was distracted by the waitress bringing drinks and food to the already too drunk customers.

Truth be told, Ansem was quite distracted for a moment at the sight of the peculiar waitress. She was indeed a sight to see. If you want to go into specifics, it was the pink hair that grabbed his attention. On top of that however was the strange attire that she wore. Unlike most of the women in the kingdom, this lady was draped in a man's clothing: long pants, these appeared to be maid of fine silk, and a fine formal shirt, complete with a few frills. As she walked in Ansem could smell the distinctive aroma of roses, which seemed to follow her wherever she went. This woman was quite peculiar indeed. The King couldn't help but shake the feeling that there was something different about her.

"Look you blubbering idiot, stop trying to hit on me, I'm a MAN!"

…That could be it.

Ansem looked up confusedly at the deep baritone that had just erupted from the glossy pink lips. He frowned for a moment trying to determine whether or not this person spoke the truth. If indeed this woman was a man, all of his problems would be solved just like that!

Quickly he called the wom- sorry, man, over to his small table. The man just looked at him a moment and nodded, but gestured toward the men who he had just left completely shell-shocked. Ansem understood the meaning, knowing that he still had to give the rest of them their food, not to mention pick a good half of their jaws up off the floor. But after a few moments the rosette made his way towards the king in disguise.

"What can I get you sir?" he said in a polite if not bored tone. Ansem still couldn't get over the fact that such a masculine voice was coming from such a feminine man. The king shook his head as though to clear his head of the intoxicating flowery perfume.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions," Ansem said in his most kingly tone. The man paused for a moment and looked around quickly before nodding and sliding into the seat across the table from the suspicious figure.

"Go ahead," he said. Ansem started out simple, deciding that immediately demanding a man to be his 'bride' may not be the best way to start any conversation. He had to be smooth and cool.

"Are you actually a man?" he blurted out. The man rolled his eyes tiredly as if he had heard the question a million times. No doubt he had with hair like that.

"Yes," the man answered simply. It was clear Ansem would have to be a little bit more specific. But again, he decided he should start with simple questions.

"Alright, so I guess I'd like to know your name?" he said questioningly as if he wasn't sure if he was going too far or not. The pink haired waiter sighed. It was obvious he would rather be elsewhere. Yet still he answered the question.

"Marluxia. I like flowers, pretty things and someday I hope to rule from castle Oblivion," he said in a mocking tone. "Now if you don't mind I have other customers to attend to."

With that he stood up and was about to leave when Ansem grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back down with one hand, pulling his hood off showing his face with the other, finally recognizable in the light, to the most girly man in the kingdom. Marluxia gasped.

"Your highness! I apolo-"

"Marluxia, would you have the honor of becoming my 'wife'?"

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><p><strong>AN: Alright-y guys. I know what you're thinking. **

_**Lady Lake! Why are you starting a new story when Pick-Up Lines isn't finished yet?**_

**Well actually that's more my train of thought. But to those of you who care, I'm still working on Pick-Up Lines, I just felt that I needed to write this. Anyways, this will eventually be a Snow White parody! With Demyx and Zexion! Why aren't you cheering yet? **

**Anyways, I _really_ need a Beta for this story, so seriously, if you're interested please drop me a line. I would appreciate it! Like, Alot! Like seriously somebody please volunteer! Maybe there will be a unicorn in it for you. **

**So, basically, I have at least half of this story finished, the fact however is that I need to edit it. I originally was going to write a fairly long one-shot, however I was at 6,000 words and I'm only half way through. Don't worry though folks, because the rest of it will be finished. As of now I've resolved to write a new chapter for every Chapter I post! We'll see how well that works out. I suppose though if there are enough reviews I could post another one soon. (Please take note of my not so subtle hinting) **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I wish I had a horse. A bright and shiny horse. A horse I could call my own. I also wish I had a unicorn while we're at it. And a million dollars? Oh! And my own library! And the rights to Kingdom Hearts, which belongs to Square Enix! Huh, maybe I should go for something a little bit more realistic, eh? Alright, I'll wish for something that I actually have a chance at, like... Oh, I know! A spaceship. I'll wish for a spaceship.**

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><p>Needless to say, for Zexion the wedding was awkward. As awkward as a wedding can be when your homosexual father is marrying yet another woman who will probably end up dead within the year. While the kingdom 'oooo'ed and 'awww'ed, Zexion pondered how his father would manage to kill his wife this time. His morbid train of thought crashed to a violent halt as Marluxia, squealing in excitement threw the bouquet behind her with a flourish, a large sponge falling from the front of her white dress causing one of her breast to disappear completely.<p>

Seeing as the happy couple of royalty were seated in the carriage, out of the sight of most of the kingdom, excepting Zexion, Marluxia took the sponge out of the other side, leaving himself completely chest-less. Then, forgetting that his step son was in the back of the carriage, he peeled off the top half of his dress, and revealed that he was not a woman at all, just a creepy man who would now be posing as his step mother. Zexion, clearly, was overjoyed.

_What fun! My step 'mother 'is a cross dresser!_

Truth be told, Zexion Wouldn't have cared less, that his father married a man, it was more the fact that this man had to be Marluxia. Or "Mar-Mar" as his idiot of a father affectionately called him. Said idiot of a father could only seem to talk about one thing: His beautiful Marly flower. During the rare times that Zexion and his father did chat, it generally looked something like this.

"You know son, when you get married, you should find someone just like my Marly-cakes!"

"Hm."

Thus you see why Ansem and Zexion were not exactly "close".

The short conversation was usually ended by Zexion sticking his nose back into whatever book he'd been reading and proceeding to ignore the world.

After Ansem had realized that Zexion didn't really care for his pink haired wonder, he arranged a get together for the two of them. Marluxia had taken Zexion to the village for a fun filled shopping trip, and bought lots of clothing for himself using Zexion only for a human pack mule. It didn't exactly improve the bookish child's opinion of his step 'mother'.

As long as Marluxia stayed out of his way Zexion supposed that he could deal with living. He probably wouldn't resort to killing himself as long as he didn't end up on another shopping trip with Marluxia. He hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Life went on, as life has a tendency to do, and soon everyone in castle Oblivion and the surrounding kingdom had forgotten the kindness and beauty their previous queen had shown, and grew greatly enamored with the new queen, who was also quite beautiful, if not more so, and quite outgoing. Their perfect queen, they had thought. Everything was set right once again

Of course no one knew that inside this pink, frilly diamond was really a power hungry, vain bitch. No one suspected anything at all.

Marluxia had not been joking that fateful night on which he met his soon-to-be-dead husband. Not only was it true that the queen loved flowers, specifically roses, and pretty things but he had also always wanted to rule castle Oblivion. Everyone, near and far, would know of his almighty power and his incomparable beauty.

And it should also be known, that not only was Marluxia a power hungry bitch, but also as straight as a ruler, no matter what his appearance and girlish attitude might portray. He had taken up the offer of marriage as an attempt to worm his way into the kingdom's hearts and then take out the king, taking his place as the mightiest, not to mention prettiest ruler in all of history.

The actual love of his life was his mirror, she being only slightly less pretty then himself. Each night he and his mirror, would whisper loving words to each other giggling and gossiping and kissing with such passion, the king would be quite jealous if he were to find out. It was quite a good thing the king would be dead in just a few days time, no?

"Psst..." A familiar voice reached the graceful assassin's ears as he sat in front of his mirror, giggling and brushing his hair.

"Can I come out now?" the voice whispered. Marluxia didn't even flinch.

"One moment," he said before lightly spritzing himself with his favorite rose-scented perfume and flicking his hair out of his face in a most attractive way.

"Alright darling the coast is clear," he whispered. He watched in anticipation as his smooth, not to mention simply divine, reflection rippled as though someone had tossed a stone into a serene lake. The ripples spread out across the entire frame of the mirror, the shiny background slowly darkened into a dark purple shade, before a sharp crackle of lightning burst into view. The pale, yet beautiful face of a woman flashed ominously, shadowed, dark and mysterious. Just from looking at her one could tell that she was a dangerous woman to mess with. Her blond hair was slicked back save for two strands which stood up, almost like antennae. Occasionally sharp sparks of electricity would fly off of her hair with a snap making the deep violet background sparkle and flash. The effect was quite brilliant in Marluxia's humblest opinion.

"My darling, how I've missed you, my beautiful Larxene," he said affectionately. Oh, I'm sorry; did I neglect to say the love of our villain's life was a _magic _mirror? My bad.

"Oh my love, I have longed to see your graceful features for such a time. How goes our plan?" the mirror inquired.

"Indeed, it fares well my sweet, the king should be dead within the week."

"And what of the prince?" her deceptively sweet voice asked.

"He will cause no problem. Though his beauty is without a doubt, none shall ever pass me, it shall not happen. It is impossible."

"But he is the next in line, what happens when the time comes for him to take the throne in two years on his twentieth birthday?"

"Worry not, love, this child could not care less about the throne, all he wishes to do is to ignore human life and read his books," he said spitting the word 'books' as though even the mention of it left a bad taste.

"I can assure you we have nothing to worry about for now. I'll kill him in a couple of years, it's not like he'll do a whole lot in the meantime," the man finished bitterly. He then looked at his lover with half closed lids, fluttering his eyelashes slightly.

"Now," he said in a sultry tone. "Who's the fairest of them all?"

Larxene giggled, using her magic to show exactly what he wanted.

"You m'dear, only you..." she crooned. As long as this was the answer the mirror showed, Zexion would be spared of the queen's jealousy.

The two giggled and cackled like only villains who have truly come up with a wondrous plan are capable of doing. That self assured cliché chuckle that implies they know they shall win the battle. And Marluxia and Larxene knew that there was no flaw in their plan. In fact as it will soon turn out, it was not the plan that was full of holes, but their vanity and lust for power which would be their down falls. But for now their plan had been set into motion. They were happy.

Two days later the king was found dead.

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><p><strong>AN: Aghh! This is so short! But this needed to be done, and you should be happy that I'm getting it up. That's right folks, be grateful! Think happy thoughts! Look on the bright side! See the glass as half full! And always think: The next chapter will definitely be longer. **

**So folks, I'm still searching for a Beta. I _really, really, really, _need one, because as amazing as my writing is (Please take note of my heavy sarcasm) it could definitely be better. A lot better. Point of this pathetic paragraph? If you would be interested in beta-ing this, or if you know anyone who would, I will love you forever. And my offer for a Unicorn still stands. **

**I can't get over how short this is...**

**Oh right! Thank you to my first reviewer! .Cool! And thanks to her the queen now has a name! Originally I figured I wouldn't bother because she was just a random OC who I would kill off, and she wouldn't be needed throughout the story. I have now realized that it is not fair to let such a good queen go without a grand name. Since I always fail at picking names, she came up with one for me :) So Good queen who was formerly known as "Ansem's Wife", or "Zexion's Mother" or "The Good Queen": I hence dub thee, Jeannette (A cross between Frozen's Jeanne, and my own little 'Ette' added to the end for a bit of a flair ;)) Thank you so much Frozen!**

**So anyways, I have the next chapter finished, however I'm going to continue writing the rest of the story for a little bit, maybe another chapter or two, before I post it. Of course, if I get enough reviews, perhaps I can be convinced to post it up earlier. (Hint, hint, nudge, nudge)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I could while away the hours, conferrin' with the flowers, consultin' with the rain. And my head I'd be scratchin' while my thoughts were busy hatchin', If I only owned Kingdom Hearts. **

**Sadly, even though my heart-wrenching musical outburst was simply too brilliant for words, Kingdom Hearts is still owned by Square Enix. I am however campaigning for Demyx.**

Zexion couldn't have cared less. Sure, his father was dead. Sure, he would technically be king in two years. But for now, Marluxia would rule the kingdom, and although he was a lying ditz, it's not like Zexion had any intention of taking over for the dolt. He was perfectly content to relax in the courtyard outside the castle and sit beside the wishing well, reading for hours on end. Of course, Zexion didn't sing about his prince or wish for better things, for he had everything he could possibly want: a good book and some peace and quiet. This was actually what Zexion did for the majority of his time, and people simply knew to stay away from his spot, as any other action resulted only in a glare from Prince Zexion. (Let it be known that one of the prince's glares could freeze you completely solid). And for a time, Zexion was happy. Or at least as happy as the slate-haired schemer was emotionally capable of.

This was all about to end.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" the pink-haired ruler asked lovingly to his mirror. It had been a long day, trying to make sure another king wasn't put into place. That was the last thing he needed. Fortunately, thanks to Sora, who had unwittingly aided his best friend's murderer, it had been decided that since Zexion would be turning twenty in a couple of years, Marluxia would rule until then. But of course, Zexion would be long dead by that time, so there was no need to worry. Until then, the vain beauty could kick up his feet and relax with his glassy lover.

Larxene's pale face crackled into view, accompanied with her trademark cackle, eager to play their little game and appease her partner. She closed her eyes and delved into the all-seeing realms in between mirrors. Calling upon her magic, the silver surface bubbled in her mind and the picture of the fairest of them all appeared to her there. She giggled knowingly, expecting to see no other than her beautiful rosette. But in a flash, that smirk turned into a concerned frown. This was not her master. Not at all. This would not end well.

Marluxia, sensing that something was amiss at seeing the creased face of his sweet, prodded her on.

"Larxene?" he asked. He truly was concerned, only using her name, and avoiding any pet names. The mirror opened her eyes and chuckled nervously, her jaw taut with badly-hidden stress.

"What's wrong, dear?" His tone was quite worried now, and his earlier pleased manner was no longer in place. Larxene shuffled, but still did not say a thing. Marluxia repeated his question frantically.

"Who's the fairest of them all?" His voice cracked, expressing his anxiety. Larxene muttered something incomprehensibly.

"I'm the fairest, most beautiful wonder in Oblivion, am I not?" his voice had gone up at least an octave. The mirror sighed and came upon the conclusion that it would be easier if she told her lover the truth now, so he could get on with murdering the fool.

"While, my love, you have _always_ been the most beautiful I've seen, my magic tells me that there is another man whose beauty has surpassed yours."

The pink-haired man sucked in a breath of surprise and envy.

"Who is it? What is his name? I must know so that I may cut his heart out and take my rightful place as the fairest gem of this kingdom," he responded sourly, just about hissing the spiteful threat. Larxene grinned and once again spoke, delighted that her lover's bloodlust had been reawakened.

"It is the crown prince, my pet. It is Zexion. You must kill him," she cackled. Marluxia's fury grew into a cool demeanor that was just as scary.

"That sounds very nice indeed..."

Demyx was handsome, if not a little bit clueless. This earned him points with everyone, for when they saw him, they would only see his dirty blond hair, spiked up at the front and combed straight at the back. They only acknowledged his deep blue eyes, which sparkled whenever he was in the middle of a particularly interesting conversation. In fact, Demyx very well may have been the crown jewel of all the princes of the Castle Down The Street From Oblivion. (Seeing as Castle Oblivion was such a popular and well-known castle, the kingdom next door had chosen this name hoping for a bit of publicity).

This man was the youngest, but most handsome, prince of the Castle Down The Street From Oblivion. He would never be king, nor did he have any wish to become so. It was his duty as the youngest prince to marry somebody rich and powerful so as to help support the family. For the moment, though, Demyx was quite content to work on his music.

But, as aforementioned, he was a little bit clueless. Of course, let it never be said that Demyx wasn't smart! He was just a little slow at times to pick up on things, especially when it came to the affairs of other humans. Music, on the other hand... well, it was for certain Demyx had quite the gift with almost any instrument. Out of all his lovely music makers, he did, however, prefer to strum the long strings of his sitar.

It was while he was doing this that our story begins to focus on him for a just few moments. At this particular moment in time, Demyx was going for a walk along the beaten path that separated Castle Oblivion and the Castle Next Door. He hummed a cheerful tune as he lugged his large sitar around and strummed a few notes along to the melody in his head.

The silence when he finally stopped his wondrous sonnet was so intense that he started to fidget annoyingly. If there was one thing that Prince Demyx couldn't stand, it was absolute silence. He would have to make his own noise to fill the empty void. And so to do this, he began to sing. His voice, not exactly a deep baritone, more an exquisite tenor range, flew gracefully from his lips. It was quite a happy jig, one that he had learned a long time ago from an old drunkard in a pub. He was just starting to get into it when he came upon a large-ish wall covered in green vines. The ivy crawled up towards the top and, by the looks of it, it was quite sturdy. After a hard jerk on his part, he came to the conclusion that it would be safe to climb it. It was probably somebody else's property, but it was not as if he was about to go waltzing about and stealing their possessions. He just wanted to know what the wall was, why it was there, and who lived there. (Let it also be said that Demyx was quite a curious soul).

Without further ado, the blond pulled himself up to the top of the looming wall. As he peered over its crumbling edge, he took in the surroundings with a gasp. It was truly magnificent, that was without saying. From the looks of it, it was some kind of courtyard, and, looking up, Demyx almost wasn't surprised to see Castle Oblivion hanging over it. After staring in awe for quite a while at the dark-looking castle, his gaze shifted back to the yard that lay directly behind the wall.

Now, normally, Demyx's eyes would have been drawn to the small pond filled with koi and seaweed. Usually, he would have looked in wonder at the large trees and gorgeous flowers. But in this particular instance, Demyx immediately noticed nothing but the boy sitting on the side of old, crumbly well, reading with intense concentration.

For some reason, Demyx found him quite alluring. The way his brow furrowed as his eyes followed the words. The way he sat quite comfortably on the edge, his pale finger tips brushing the surface of the water and sending ripples out around his hand. The way the birds seemed to flock to him and sit around in a circle, singing to him. He had such a way with the-

"Don't you be expecting me to sing to you," the boy said dryly to the doves perched near him. The blond prince snorted, then covered his mouth quickly as the young boy's head shot up, his eyes wide with momentary surprise and embarrassment at being seen. Demyx attempted to duck his head behind the wall, to mask his presence, but as he did so, he felt his fingertips- now sweaty from the heat and nervousness- start to slide off of the thick green vine that he'd been using for support. He hit the ground with a _thunk_, one that rivaled the sound of a large oak tree falling to the ground under the mercy of a crew of woodsmen.

"Owwwww..." he groaned. Nothing was broken, but there would be definite bruises in the morning. That was the fifth time this month that he'd fallen off of a wall...

"Smooth move, dumb ass." The boy's pointed face was shaped into a look that may have been amusement, but for someone who didn't know him, it would be difficult to tell. His face was, for the most part, drawn into an expressionless void, save the small twinkle that gleamed in his eye. Believe you me when I say that it had been quite a long time since any twinkle had ever been seen- no scratch that. It had been _years_ since any emotion had ever appeared. Demyx, not seeing how absolutely monumental the moment had truly been, could only think that it made him look more attractive than he had previously thought.

Zexion sat with his elbows resting gently on the edge of the wall, holding himself up with ease. His feet were hanging down the other side, swinging back and forth, occasionally finding certain holds that would allow him to rest his arms. As Demyx stood up and brushed the dirt off of his long coat, Zexion found his eyes lingering a little, but longer then they should have. Realizing this, he shook his head with disgust, while pulling himself up to sit on the edge of the stone wall, and letting his legs dangle. Demyx looked up at the boy curiously.

"Soooo..."

The only response the blond received was a quirked eyebrow. Demyx scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Hi, I'm Demyx, what's your name?" he started off in a friendly tone.

Zexion snorted and turned, jumping gracefully off the wall and returning to his well. Demyx huffed indignantly.

At this point, he should have kept walking. He should have forgotten all thoughts of the boy who sat alone in the courtyard. He shouldn't have climbed back over the wall. But Demyx couldn't leave it at that. And so climb the wall he did.

"Hey! I asked you something!" Demyx shouted as he maneuvered his way to the ledge, being a little bit more cautious so as to avoid another fall.

Zexion started, thinking that the intruder had left already.

"Are you honestly that stupid? After what happened last time you tried to climb that thing?" Zexion said exasperatedly.

"Shut up!"

Soon enough, his head appeared, followed by his arms, torso, knees, and finally he was over. He hopped from the top of the barrier, slightly less graceful than the other prince, and landed with a slight thud. As he walked toward Zexion, the smaller boy grew slightly panicked when he realized his death glare wouldn't work on this bubbly fellow. _Now what?_

"I asked what your name was."

Zexion looked down at his book once again. Demyx, by this point was understandably annoyed. There weren't many things that could really, truly irk the blond boy, but being ignored was definitely one of them. That, and silence. And also objects that were fuchsia... but that's beside the point. What Demyx was meaning to convey through this ever-confusing thought process was the fact that he did not enjoy being ignored, and indeed Zexion was ignoring him. This would simply not do.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing!" yelled Zexion, more than exasperated at this point.

The taller boy looked down to the bottom of the well, listening to the small splash as the heavy book hit the water's surface.

"... That is a deep well," stated Demyx. Zexion twitched. For a moment, silence reigned.

"I'm going to kill you, you bastard!"

It was time for Demyx to begin plotting his escape. Off he ran.

Marluxia's sneer could only be described as sinister. As he gazed through the beautiful glass window, he offhandedly noticed how exceptionally clean the panes were. He would have to remember to commend the janitorial staff. ...Or at least refrain from killing them.

_Oh, being in charge is such fun!_ He thought to himself, clapping while jumping a bit with glee. As you can see, Marly continually being mistaken for a girl did have a sliver of reason...

In any case, as he stood staring out into the courtyard, his gaze fell onto the soon-to-be-dead prince sitting silently on the well. Had you been here a little bit earlier, you may have been lucky enough to witness Marluxia's glare of pure hatred and jealousy, and perhaps even gotten a sample of his inner monologue of evil and doom. But now, you'll find that Marluxia was quite happy. Quite happy indeed. Perhaps, had the young blond prince from the Castle Across The Street From Oblivion not ventured into Oblivion's courtyard, he would have still been in a silent rage. There was once a time when Marluxia had pondered conquering that neighboring kingdom instead. But the assassin had always been the type for high expectations. And look at him now. It had surely paid off. Mother would be so proud!

As the blond boy continued to terrorize the silent prince, Marluxia's sadistic and scheming side appeared at the same moment. If you feel the urge to run in fear, by all means, do so. I do not appreciate lawsuits.

The rosette watched as his stepson was harassed, cruel mirth in his eyes, and the gears in his magnificent head turning.

"SORA!" Marluxia's summoning voice was a bit louder than need be, but it did the job effectively. The young, energetic head of the Guard came skipping into view.

"Yes?"

"Ahem..."

"Yes... your royal majesty of all Oblivion?" the brunet corrected. Internally, Sora wasn't a man quick to hate, however he had soon found that Queen

Marluxia may be the sole person in existence who he admittedly, wholeheartedly despised.

"I have a very important task for you to complete," the Queen stated matter-of-factly. And as he leaned in to whisper into Sir Sora's ear, the brunet's eyes visibly widened in shock.

**A/N Kseeseeseesee. I love making cliff hangers :P I hate reading them though. Too bad. I can just tell that karma's gonna come around and bite me in the ass any moment now. But for the time being, I'd say it's worth it.**

**Anyways, thank you for all the alerts, favourites and best of all: REVIEWS! Every single review makes my heart warm and fuzzy. So I ask: Did you like it? Do you agree with Demyx about Fuchsia? Are you pining for Zexion to finally break out of his shell? What about the seven dwarves? (I'm actually soooo phsyched to write the dwarves. I already have them all planned out. A small hint? Well let's just say that Vexen, the germaphobe, gets the honour of being sneezy. Sorry Vexen, I couldn't resist!**

**And thank you so much to Dellums for beta-ing for me! So much appreciated, and now I can stop whining every chance I get about needing a beta... **

**Alright, and as for reviews, perhaps I'll be persuaded to update quickly if I get up to 10 reviews? Nah, I'm just kidding, I'll update whenever I feel like it. But I won't say that I'm above bribes. Just putting that out there. ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Yo listen up, here's a story, about a little girl who lived in a plain house. And all day, and all night, and everything she sees is just Kingdom Hearts, like her, inside and outside. I wish, I wish, that I owned Kingdom hearts, but no, I do not, it's square, square enix's.**

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><p>Zexion was positively murderous. How dare this 'Demyx' waltz (well, perhaps one shouldn't put it quite <em>that<em> gracefully...) unto his property, demand that they converse, and then throw his book into a well? I don't think you truly understand the calamity of this situation. Demyx had thrown PRINCE ZEXION'S _BOOK_ into a well. Heads would roll.

Demyx, however, was quite gleeful. He pranced around the dusty paths skilfully avoiding thorns and branches (most of them) and whistling a joyous tune. It was almost as if the blonde didn't realize that he had just paid for his own funeral. But then again, this is Demyx we're talking about. Chances are he didn't realize just how bad this situation was about to become. Neither did Zexion, in hindsight.

"You and your mullet will die in the depths of hell!"

Those who had known Zexion for his whole life (namely Sora) would be quite surprised at this display of emotion. Zexion never got angry like this. Ever. In fact, most of the castle folk thought that he had no soul whatsoever.

As Zexion sprinted after the blond nuisance, he reflected upon his life. Honestly this rage coursing through his blood was somewhat refreshing. He would have laughed in delight if not for two reasons: One, he was Prince Zexion, a schemer who lived only in his head and Two, he was in a state of sheer anger and the only thing on his mind was murdering the obnoxious blonde.

To Zexion's threat, Demyx replied with a yell of, "It's not a mullet! It's too cool for that!", which only succeeded in infuriating the Crown Prince further.

Indeed, death was in the air.

"But your highness-"

Queen Marly cleared his throat and arched one delicately plucked eyebrow above the other.

"I apologize." Sora cleared his throat awkwardly before beginning again.

"Your royal-est majesty, I don't see what's wrong at all. Our prince is merely playing with a neighbour! You should be proud!" Sora's clear blue eyes were clouded with confusion. How could the queen make such an accusation of the prince? It had been such a long time since Prince Zexion had ever had any friends.

"He is consorting with the enemy, no doubt giving away all of our most prized secrets!" Marluxia's voice was sharp and critical.

"The Castle Down The Street From Oblivion has always been one of our most trusted allies! They're hardly the _enemies_."

"The prince is sharing information of utmost security. Treason, I say! And treason is a crime punishable by death!" Marluxia was slightly peeved at the disobedience. Sora may have to be disposed in the future if this continued.

"Your Majesty-"

Marluxia didn't even let the brunette flatter him with the awe-inspiring title.

"Take him to the forest and kill him. Bring me his heart so that I may show the kingdom what becomes of those who act against me."

The apprehension and confusion in Sora's eyes was replaced by fear. Fear of what this queen could do. And it was with this fear and a heavy heart that he set out to complete his mission.

Demyx was running out of breath. He wasn't entirely sure how much longer he could keep sprinting. For the first little while, Demyx had laughed it off. The dark haired boy surely couldn't actually want to _kill _him. He was just teasing. Playfully overreacting. After seeing the murderous glare in the short-ish prince's eyes, however, he began to have his doubts...

This was as far as he could go. He keeled over gasping for air. His eyes landed upon a pair of feet that tapped in a rather annoyed fashion. Demyx's eyes slowly traveled up the shorter boy's body as a plan unravelled in his head. He'd seduced plenty of woman before, why should a man be any different? Sure, said man was in a rather murderous rage, but as was mentioned before, Demyx had always been a little clueless.

Finally, blue met indigo, Demyx standing over the prince, towering. He hadn't realized how short the boy was until now. He had almost a foot and a half on the younger boy.

"So, you never told me what your name was."

Perhaps not the best pick up line...

Zexion began to kick him. Not just pathetic taps, but full out vicious attacking. As in, there would be even more bruises tomorrow.

"Ow! Why're you kicking me? Ow! It was just a question! A perfectly valid question, I might add – _OW_!"

And Zexion continued kicking.

Or at least until Demyx used his mad ninja skills to bring Zexion pitching forward. For a second, it was as if everything was in slow motion.

And then Zexion was lying on top of the blonde.

It was considerably awkward, that went without saying. But for some reason Zexion didn't move. Couldn't move. Blue orbs met indigo, and time stood still. It felt like several hours whooshed past, but at the same time everything had frozen.

The sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted the touching scene.

"My prince?"

The voice was hesitant, and Zexion was startled at the sound. He leapt off the blushing blonde, probably a little red in the face himself.

_I'm not embarrassed_, he thought. _I'm sure I'm just a little worn out from chasing after that stupid bastard._

The brunette guard stood stiffly, an obviously fake smile plastered onto his face.

Demyx stood up and brushed the dirt and leaves from his shirt and trousers, a small grin darting across his lips. All of a sudden he froze, standing straight up with a look of surprise.

"Wait. Prince?"

Zexion shot him a look that obviously said 'shut up now before a murder you'.

But Demyx wasn't finished yet.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

The shorter boy snorted.

"I was a little preoccupied trying to kill you..."

Demyx cringed. He had been trying to forget.

"Oh, that's right. You still haven't told me your name!"

Zexion rolled his eyes and averted his eyes to the captain of the guard, who stood awkwardly with a curious furrow in his brow.

"While I am quite glad to see you frolicking with boys of your own age—" Zexion scowled "— I need to discuss something with you."

At the lack of reaction, Sora cleared his throat. "Privately..." he prompted.

Zexion was rather suspicious, admittedly, he rarely ever had conversations with the brunette, and so the sudden want for conversation had him slightly on edge. Nevertheless, the desperation in the guard's voice convinced the young prince and so with a frown he stepped forward.

Demyx wasn't sure what to do, so he stood by himself watching the two figures walk away. His mind still occupied by the slate haired prince, he realized that he _still_ didn't know his name.

"I- I guess I'll just help myself back over the wall…" he called out, although the two men didn't hear him— or they just chose to ignore them.

As stated previously, Zexion was the slightest bit paranoid, and as he walked at the side of the head of the guard, after all, he wasn't exactly a social entity. However, Sora was the only person whom he'd known for his entire life, so he had to give the brunette something.

He supposed if he ever needed to talk to somebody about something personal – not that he'd ever need to – Sora would be the best person.

He didn't see quite what the problem was. Sure, he had been running around with another boy, who he didn't know, but it wasn't like they had been doing anything horrendous. Zexion thought back to the scene which the guard had walked in on. It was perfectly acceptable….

Wait, he'd been lying on top of the blonde kid. _He_ had been lying on top of the guy.

Suddenly Zexion realized just how many times his father had attempted to talk to him about the birds and the bees, and failed miserably.

Of course he knew what it was about, but Sora had still often pestered him to listen to the king's advice on matters of such sort.

_Oh, because he knew so much about good relationships,_ Zexion thought bitterly.

Anyways, what if... what if Sora now felt the need to speak to him about certain – _ahem – t_hings… Things involving intimate actions between two people. Things that Zexion really, _really_, did not want to hear, in this context, nor from this person.

He glanced warily over at Sora, whose eyes were glued firmly to the path in front of them, finding much interest in the stones and weeds littered beneath their feet. His nervous actions only confirmed Zexion's inner accusations.

They were entering the forest that lay about half a kilometre from the large castle. Blinking in surprise, for he hadn't noticed they had walked so far, Zexion was just about to inquire what the long walk was called for, when all of a sudden Sora's big blue eyes looked down at him. Sora was only a few inches taller than the prince, but the boy shuffled in annoyance at the fact he needed to glance upwards.

The crown prince was sure that the guard would launch into a stuttering attempt to explain sex, but instead Sora quickly brought his gaze back downwards and continued to walk forwards.

"No disrespect intended, but where the hell are we going?"

Zexion was beginning to get impatient, and an impatient Zexion generally brought around death.

"Please keep walking, prince," Sora said weakly. He sounded pained and desperate, although Zexion honestly had no idea why that would be. Not sure how to react to such a submissive tone, wordlessly the boy followed.

Absentmindedly, he noticed the sun beginning to set. Shadows were cast by the trees that now loomed over them, and looking backwards, Zexion realized that he could no longer see the entrance of the forest. Eventually they were so surrounded by shrubbery and green, Zexion was sure that they must be in the middle of the forest. He'd been forced out on many hunting trips through these woods, but somehow during midday, it didn't look quite so menacing.

For some reason he wasn't quite so sure that Sora was going to bring up the subject of sexuality right here. Unless he was planning on raping him, but somehow he could much more easily picture Marluxia trying to pull a stunt like that. Anyways, more to the point, Zexion had a sneaking suspicion that perhaps this wasn't what he had first written it off to be.

"Prince Zexion, I'm sure you know this-"

_Oh, he wouldn't…._

"But sometimes when man and a woman, or it could even be a woman and a woman, or a man and a man –"

Never mind.

"Oh sweet mother of – I don't want to hear this!" He covered his ears quickly. Sora's eyes narrowed in confusion. He hadn't even finished…

"Hear what? Did you already know what I was about to say?"

"Yes! And I already know! You don't need to tell me!"

Sora gasped.

"But how?"

Zexion rolled his eyes.

"For goodness' sake! I'm eighteen, how could I not know?" He was feeling rather exasperated. He had been dragged into the middle of the woods, which was now turning black in the coming evening, all for this?

"With all due respect, my prince, I don't see what your age has to do with you knowing that the queen asked me to take your heart out, and bring it back to her…"

"…What?"

Now the two of them were just confused.

"Wait, the uh… 'queen' wants me dead?" He had known that Marly didn't like him much, but he'd never thought he'd go through such lengths to get rid of him.

"What did you think I was talking about?" Sora squinted, partially because of the night blanketing the sky, and partly because he had no idea what was going on.

"Nothing," Zexion almost blushed.

There was an awkward silence before Zexion snorted in amusement. Wow, Marluxia was more idiotic than he'd thought. Honestly, sending out _Sora_ of all people to kill him. Sheesh, how much crazier can you get. Sora would never kill him; Sora was kind of his….

His almost confession of having a friend was interrupted by the sharpening of a knife, and the glint of metal.

Well, damn. He was going to die.

"Oh, prince, don't worry, I wouldn't kill you," Here he stopped to send him a smile. "I don't think I could."

Zexion breathed a sigh of relief.

"Wait, what am I supposed to do now?" He asked glancing around into the dark gaps between the trees.

"I don't know. Look, I'm doing you a favor already by not sticking this blade through your chest. You already owe me."

Well, he had a point. But, where was he supposed to go?

"I'd advise making yourself scarce. If the queen finds you, we'll both be dead."

And with that, the guard began to make his way back the direction that he'd come.

The screech of an owl pierced the darkness, and the howl of a wolf blessed Zexion with its haunting chill. Slowly he turned around, and decided that the best way to choice of action, was to walk.

And walk he did.

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><p><strong>AN: Next chapter will have the dwarves, I promise! Here's another hint to tie you over: Dopey is played by Luxord, since he's always drunk :) I love Luxord. He is epic. **

**Thank you as always, to Dellums, for beta-ing for me! Otherwise, there'd be so many typos, spelling mistakes and word junk, nobody would want to read this!**

**Okay, this is the part where I tell you how sorry I am for posting this up so late, and normally beg and plead for a deadline, so that I'll actually get this finished. But I've found that I fail miserably at meeting deadlines. So just poke me until I get the next chapter finished! **

**Thank you to all the people who reviewed, favourited and alerted! You make me happy. Not to mention, you're the cause for my motivation! Okey Dokey, well until next time!**

**Adieu!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: So I've created this elaborate plot to own Kingdom Hearts (which currently belongs to Square Enix, by the way...) Here's the master plan: In the dead of night... I sneak into Square Enix... Steal the rights to Kingdom Hearts... and a life boat... and row back to Spain.**

** To those of you who are unaware, I may possibly have stolen the plan from Road to Eldorado, and just modified it. Thanks Tulio and Miguel! **

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><p>"Your Majesty, the Prince is dead."<p>

The blue-eyed guard fell to his knees in front of the queen, holding a small chest out to her. Marluxia grinned, something sadistic and horrible, and as Sora saw the look in his Queen's eyes, he knew that she really wasn't as innocent as the whole kingdom had thought her to be.

But hopefully, she was a hell of a lot more stupid.

As the pink-haired ruler reached out and grabbed the box, Sora watched as she tenderly held it close, and then stroked the lid carefully. It was really a beautifully-crafted chest, carved with care, each groove and line. The queen's fingers caressed it, slowly making their way towards the latch at the front. Just as she was about to open it, she froze and looked at Sora, her gaze piercing his soul. Or at least, that was what it felt like, and for a moment, he was sure that she could see right through him. Finally, she stood, patted his brunette spikes, and exited the throne room, which had been emptied since Sora had entered.

Walking briskly to his chambers, Marluxia held the box which contained Prince Zexion's heart close to his own. His robes swished around him in a graceful fashion as he opened the double doors that entered into his living quarters. He paused in front of the mirror, placed in the entrance hallway, and smoothed his hair before tossing it behind his head and laughing. Oh, he was beautiful, that was for sure.

He had brought his prize with him into his bedroom, so that he could show it to his sweet, and finally the two would be at peace. Larxene had worried just as much as he had throughout the past few days, and Marluxia knew that at last the two of them could be at rest.

"Oh, Larxy?" he called out, his back to the mirror as he climbed out of his royal garb. He needed to change into something more ravishing then the dreary cloaks he was made to wear during court sessions. He found one of his dark black robes, which held his hips in a most appealing way, if he did say so himself. He finished tying the last knot just as his favourite blonde lover appeared from the depths of the magic mirror.

"Yes, Love?" she giggled. "Did that blubbering idiot destroy him?"

Marluxia giggled too.

"Oh, honey, do you really think that he'd be alive right now if he hadn't?" he asked, his voice far too sugary for anyone's liking.

Smiling lovingly, Larxene shook her head.

"Of course not. Let's see it then?" Her eyes grew excited at the prospect of seeing the blood and insides of the little bastard that dared to take her love's place as fairest.

Carefully, Marluxia lifted the lid off of the chest, showing the prize that lay inside. A red heart lay beating still, pumping without blood or oxygen. The two villains laughed and laughed at the ghastly sight. Finally, the stupid Prince was gone!

Marluxia held himself high, clutching the box to his chest, and in a lavish tone, asked, "Alright, my love, now tell me: who is the fairest of them all?"

Despite what one's horrors and objections might lead a person stranded in the middle of a dark and rather ominous forest to believe, the stars were quite beautiful that night. The thought flitted across Zexion's mind; even in his head, his voice still held a sarcastic tone. He glanced up at the twinkling sky, taking note that it was actually fairly clear. The moon shone bright in its waning state, making the trees and their leaves glow. The stars winked down at Zexion in a friendly way, wishing good tidings upon him.

Maybe if he wasn't stranded out in the middle of nowhere with no home to go back to, not a friend in the world, and a psychotic overlord (or overlady?) who wanted him dead was probably sending out a troop of ax men to murder him from behind, he might have stood and basked in the beauty that the night was.

Unfortunately, he was stranded out in the middle of nowhere with no home to go back to, not a friend in the world, and a psychotic woman who wanted him dead was most likely sending out multiple troops of ax men to murder him from behind. And so, the schemer did no basking.

Instead he did what he was best at. He brooded. He contemplated why exactly he hadn't just killed himself while he had the chance. But then again, Marluxia probably was only killing him for the throne. Suicide would've have gotten the pink-haired bitch to the top faster.

And since he was on the topic of the pink-haired bitch, Zexion took it upon himself to think through various ways he could humiliate, break, and ultimately destroy her. It was one of those times when he wished that he was king, just so he could have her executed without technically being guilty of murder.

For hours, Zexion pulled himself through the forest, surprising himself with just how much endurance he actually had. The narcissistic side of him was quite impressed. One would almost think that his seething rage was pushing him on…

Finally, through the red of anger that was shining in his eyes, he noticed that the trees did seem to be thinning, for some mysterious reason. Shaking thoughts of Marluxia from his head, it dawned upon the slate-haired boy maybe… just maybe… it could be because the forest was finally coming to a close. He would be free!

His feet picked up their pace just a smidge, which slowly turned into a trot, and from there, a full-out sprint. The dark shadows and whispery noises had been driving him crazy. He was thirsty, hungry, tired, and hoping that perhaps there would be a small village that would take mercy on him.

In just a mere moment the trees dispersed, and open space was everywhere. Or at least, at first glance it was. Zexion was about to whoop with joy, completely out of character, yes, but the situation definitely deserved it. But then, he saw the trees again, just a couple hundred yards from where he was standing.

He was only in a meadow. He probably wasn't even close to getting out of this nightmare. He sunk to his knees, just sitting there for a few moments. As much as it pained him to realize it, all rational thoughts seemed to have fled from his mind. He didn't know what to do at all.

At least dawn was starting to peer over the horizon. For a few moments the prince just sat and stared at the sun making its way over the line of trees, which now seemed to be taunting him.

Deciding that it was quite possible sitting in the grass was not the best plan for success, Zexion stood up with a broken sigh, and decided he might as well just cross the clearing and continue going straight.

Lifting his eyes to path in front of him, Zexion breathed and took a few steps forward. Something stopped him almost as soon as he'd done so. It was almost as if there was a large wall standing abruptly in front of the prince.

Zexion frowned and glanced upwards hoping to see any indication as to what exactly could be standing in his way. It was absurd; why on earth would an invisible block be in the middle of a clearing? Zexion was understandably confused.

The prince placed one pale hand in front of him, and indeed, there was a solid object beneath his palm. Letting his fingertips graze the tall force, Zexion walked along what felt to be the edge, feeling the strange texture of what must've been a wall. The cracks in the brick were deep, and Zexion could feel his fingers catch in them.

He'd walked perhaps halfway around what seemed to be a circular sort of building when his searching hands came upon a door of sorts. Zexion grasped the invisible doorknob and pushed the door open, the familiar click of the knob turning accompanied by a squeak of hinges.

If you can recall correctly, that moment when Alice falls down the hole, finding herself in a strangely empty room, you might be able to relate to Zexion. Her astonishment, her wonder, not to mention the overwhelming sense of curiousity. And now, if you do remember that part, surely you remember the next bit of the story. Alice finds the food on the table labeled with a cheerful, "Eat Me". She takes a bite of the cake and finds herself reduced pitifully down to the size of a mouse, able to fit through the small door and make her way to Wonderland. If in fact you know the tale of Miss Alice, then perhaps the latter part might be a tad bit more relatable in Zexion's case.

Everything was huge. Directly through the still invisible door, a garden that was the size of a cornfield lay, clearly not very well-tended. Weeds grew up around towering trees, wrapping through roots and strangling the life out of the giants. A few flowers grew rampant, various species overpowering the others by far.

And then there was the cottage. A long path weaved its way carefully through the garden leading straight to the hatched structure. Zexion's gaze slowly wandered up. And up. And up. It was like the thing never ended, it seemed to be a good twenty floors tall at least. The large wooden door was at least twice as tall as Zexion.

As if he didn't feel short enough already.

Straightening his back, hoping it would give him the impression of being just a tad bit taller, Zexion slowly lifted his hand up to the brass knocker, which was roughly the size of his head. The three taps were much louder than he'd expected though and he winced at the clanging in his ears.

Nothing happened. The whole place was eerily quiet for some strange reason. Zexion stood awkwardly in front of the giant door, pondering what exactly to do. Some of you might argue that it was due to his never-ending supply of courtesy that kept him from barging into the house. No, that wasn't the case. The prince had been wondering around through the forest for hours, he had no idea where he was, he was half-starved already, and emotionally and physically exhausted. He wasn't planning on leaving. However, due to the massiveness of everything around him, he couldn't help but feel a little wary. After all, something that lived in a building that size could easily squish the poor lad.

The schemer stood for a moment longer before deciding that whatever happened, it couldn't possibly be worse than what would happen if anyone found him out in the forest at this hour.

At least this door was properly oiled, Zexion thought as he pushed it open. The state of the garden didn't exactly promise much for housekeeping.

The building was certainly curious, that was for certain. Everything about it made Zexion feel dwarfed in comparison. There was a huge wooden table, surrounded by seven large-looking chairs. The roof seemed stretched so that it towered, far above any usual level. In one corner, seven beds lay, all in a row. It was only as he looked at those beds that Zexion realized just how tired he really was. Crawling into one, he closed pulled the thick covers up to his chin, his eyes beginning to drift shut despite the apprehension of being in a stranger's house. Soon enough, sleep washed over him.

"What's he doing here?"

"I don't care; just get him out of my bed! Look at him he's filthy!"

"Oh, I love visitors! We don't see anyone here in this godforsaken cabin!"

"Let'sh Shelebrate! Wi' rum. Where'd all me rum go?"

"Good lord Lux, you've already drank three bottles! You guys are morons. Just wake him up and tell him to get the hell out."

Zexion was confused, but some sort of instinct had told him he'd be safest if he kept his eyes closed. The plan had worked pretty effectively, until a quick thunk to his head brought a yowl of pain from his mouth. He shot up, eyes flashing open, which drew another yelp, although this time more from surprise.

He was surrounded by seven people, all wearing individual expressions of awe, confusion, anger, or intoxication.

And all of them were a good six and a half feet at least.

Zexion bolted out of the bed, suddenly remembering where he was exactly, realizing that he was most likely the stupidest person on the face of the earth.

"Who are you?" hr shouted, slightly panicked.

"Listen, dude, you're in our house. I think we should be asking you who you are, shorty." The voice came from a kid with spiked blond hair. He looked younger than the rest, but still had that uncanny height about him.

Zexion looked around at all of them, eyes wide. They were so different from each other. There was one with longish blonde hair, his face looked sharp and irritable, and he wore a long white cloak. His eye twitched as he looked at the bed Zexion had slept in, clearly thinking that it was horribly contaminated now.

Another, with black dreads pulled back, looked almost as though he was about to fall asleep right then. A man with short blonde hair was wobbling on his feet, singing something out of tune under his breath as another with spiked grey-blue hair ordered him to stop without success. Clearly this man was the leader of sorts. One with bright red hair had a huge grin on his face as he watched everyone, and at last Zexion's eyes fell on number seven. Smaller than all the rest, the strangest thing was that she was a girl. The only one it would seem. She kept her eyes on her feet, but when they did flicker up and make contact with the prince's, she blushed and looked back down quickly.

"Well are you going to ask me?" said Zexion. The blond kid narrowed his eyes that the smart ass who welcomed himself into the house.

"What?"

"You said 'we should be asking you who you are' but you never actually posed a question in my direction."

Before the spiky haired kid could scowl even more than he already was, 'Mr. Leader' butted in.

"Alright, who are you?"

Zexion felt as though maybe he should use a fake name… After all, once the queen found out he wasn't dead, he would be the most wanted man in the kingdom and beyond. He could be anyone he wanted to be!

"My name's Zexion," He said matter-of-factly. Or not.

The smiling redhead rushed over, pushing Mr. Leader, and Mr. Hothead out of the way.

"It's great to meet you! Honestly, these guys are the most boring people in the world to live with. I'm so happy you're here."

Zexion, never having been one to be social, wasn't entirely sure how to act.

The red head stopped for a second before shaking his head, smile still gracing his face. He began to introduce everyone else in the room, pointing out figures as he said their names.

"Roxas is the mean one over there, that's Vexen, that's Xaldin… Oi! Xaldin, try and stay awake would you?" The comment was accompanied by a quick slap on the head from Mr. Leader.

"Luxord's completely drunk off his ass, Xemnas thinks he's the boss-"

"I _am_ the boss!"

"Xion's the only girl, and I'm Axel. Got it memorized?"

"Not exactly."

Axel only shook his head and laughed. "You'll get it soon enough."

Zexion frowned and looked up at all the faces, still wondering how all of them could be so tall.

"So what are you guys, half-giants?"

Axel let out a chuckle again and wrapped his arm around the prince's shoulder. Zexion noticed Vexen's eyes narrow and a frown graced his face. His arms quickly folded and he huffed as everyone sent him a pointed look.

Zexion's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Actually, we're dwarves," said Xemnas with all seriousness.

Looking up at all of them again, Zexion sighed. If that wasn't bad for one's self esteem, he didn't know what was.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: First off, I have to grovel at your feet and hope that you'll forgive me for not updating :( I started writing this chapter over march break, but since it's Easter weekend I decided to whip my ass back into shape. So here you are! **

**I finally got to put the dwarves in! I love my little (tall) dwarves. Trust me, there's a reason they're so tall at the moment. The reason is... Well, you'll have to wait until I finally update again now, won't you? Axel's a little ooc, so please add that to the list of things you'll have to forgive me for. **

**Thank you to Dellums, my awesome beta!**

**So, who can guess which is which dwarf? I think I made it relatively obvious... I based them off of the names of the dwarves in the Disney Snow White movie, but hey, they work alright. **

**How about we play a little game? Here are the names of the Disney Dwarves: Sneezy, Sleepy, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy and Bashful. First to review and match up the dwarves to their KH counterparts correctly wins! Whoever gets it right, the next chapter will be dedicated to them! So may the odds be _ever_ in your favor! (I already told you two of them in previous chapters anyways... :P)**

**Alright, reviews are appreciated, favourites are totally awesome and alerts make me extraordinarily happy! I hope you enjoyed!**


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